Pry type jar cap lifter



pril 20, I954 H. c. KRAMER ET AL 2,675,721

PRY TYPE JAR CAP LIFTER Filed June 14, 1 952 INVENTOR.

Haney (IM /714x12 W/lZ/HM ff 7/70M/sm BYMAI'M JTTORNE I" Patented Apr. 20, 1954 2,675,721 PRY 'rrrr: JAR. CAP LIFTER.

Harry G. Kramer, Brooklyn, and William R.

Thompson, Flushing, N. Y., assignors of onethird to William Ferguson, Williamsville, N. Y.

Application June 14, 1952, Serial No. 293,627

Our present invention relates in general to jar openers, and more particularly to cap openers for jars of the vapor or vacuum-sealed type, and is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 146,502, filed February 18, 1950, and now abandoned.

In the past it has been found diflicult to provide a simple, positive and inexpensive opener for jars or bottles of the type employing a cap or top which is fitted snugly over a flange surrounding the mouth of the jar or bottle. For example, jars that are vacuum or vapor sealed with a metallic cap having the typical flared periphery, are extremely difficult to open with the devices usually recommended for the purpose. Such devices comprise the back of a dull table knife, the edge of a coin, special flat edge tools or the usual hook opener and the like. However, in all these cases we have found this common problem to exist: the prior tool will repeatedly slip despite the utmost efforts to prevent slippage, and damage to the cap or top inevitably results, as well as breakage to the glass mouth. Further, the use of a fiat tool will raise one side of the cap and depress the opposite side without breaking the seal between cap and jar or bottle. Repeated use of the table knife merely rocks the cap upon the jar top without opening th jar. Where jars of vacuumpacked baby foods are involved, it is obvious that such damage renders the experience of opening the jar a vexatious experience to the mother. Our problem, then, was to find a method of easily opening jars that have vacuum sealed tops, and to provide means so constructed that the top or cap would be undamaged. h

A main object of our present invention is to provide a jar cap or top opening device adapted to function in its designed manner with but one continuous motion through a ninety degree are, the top or cap remaining in perfect shape free from bends or damage and bein reusable.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel jar top opener which featuresa hook or guide element which effectively and easily breaks the seal between cap and jar and prevents slip-' page of the opener while the cover or top'is being lifted. Another object of the invention is to provide a jar cap opening device which is formed from a single piece of relatively thin metal, and comprises a handle having a curved working edge end having a spaced pivot element or tongue and a seal breaking pointed hook which also acts as a retention element.

Still other objects of our invention are to improve generally the construction of jar openers, and more especially to provide an improved vacuum sealed jar cap opening tool which is economically manufactured and simply employed. P

I Other features of our invention willbest' be 2 Claims; (01. 81-3.46)

2 understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showin an embodiment of our inven--' tion.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a side view in elevation of the novel jar opener;

Fig. 2 is the front edge view of the opener;

Fig. 3 shows a vacuum sealed jar with the opener in horizontal position and the head inserted prior to the opening motion; and

' Fig. 4 shows the cap lifted off the jar, and the opener in its final vertical position.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters in the several figures denote similar elements, in Figs. 1 and 2 we have shown the novel jar opener device in substantially full-size dimensions. It is to be fully understood that we do not restrict ourselves to any specific dimensions. The device is preferably stamped out as a single piece from any suitable metallic stock. For example, stainless steel, aluminum or any corrosion-resistance alloy may be used. Any suitable non-metallic material, such as a synthetic resin plastic or even wood, of suflicient rigidity may be employed.

The device has uniform thickness, as is indicated in Fig. 2, and has a handle I of generally rectangular configuration. The lower corners 2 of the handle may be rounded or otherwise finished; The upper end of the device is generally indicated by numeral ,3, and is the working head thereof. It is bent or curved at substantially a right angle to the'plane of handle I. The inner and outer edges 4 and 4' respectively are curves which may have substantially equal radii of curvature. The inner curved edge 4 has the forward portion 4" thereof adapted to function as the lower or jar-bearing edge.

The working head 3 of the device or tool is provided with a tongue or "fulcrum section 5 which has a generally rectangular shape. Th vertical edge 5 of the fulcrum section 5 is linear, while the upper edge '5 thereof has a gentle or slight upward grade to the vertical edge 1. The edge I rises to a point sufficiently above the horizontal edge 9 of the working head 3 to provide a sharp sawtooth shaped tooth or hook section 8 having a steep vertical front side or edge and a sloping rear side or edge, as shown.

The edge 9 functions as a shoulder or coverlifting edge, as will be later described in connection with Fig. 4. The edge 9 is an extension, of course, of the outer curvature 4'. The tooth or hook element 8 performs a most important function in our device. There is a distance in the device to which we direct attention. This isthe distance between edge 4" and edge 9, and preferably corresponds approximately to the height which the jar cover or top should be lifte'd'at an'ygiven-point to cause it to fall free cover has been raised to a distance correspond ing to that between 4 and 9. When the vacuum seal is broken between cap and jar bythesharppoint of the hook, the outside. ainrushesrimto-r equalize the pressure between the interior ofv the jar (under the cap) and the: atmospheric:

pressure, to thereby enable the. cap to. be lifted free of the jar. As previously'stated, the entire" device is easily fabricated in one operatiomfrcm.

a plate or sheet of suitable thickness.

The. device is utilizedasshown in Eigsa3. and. 4. l'nfii'g. 3 the jar lflgsay a glass jar of. baby food, is provided with a cap or top H, and the jar is to be understood as being of. the vacuum sealed type. The cap H generally. has. the shape shown, with a flared rim or periphery. IZY which overhangs the ledge. 13 of. the jar.. The inner face of the rim-of cap 5 Lisusually provided-with a.,rubber gasket which. grips thev smooth. glass rim on shoulder flange. 14 f the mouth. of.- the. jar. There is acircular groove or. recess. of lesser diameter between ledge. l3: and rim M.

It is. tobe understoodthat jar. I0 is but. one exampleof the type of. closure which can. easily. and. positively be opened by our opener. We do not restrict ourselves to. the specific glass. jar. shown. Bottles and. fruit jars, as wellas. other. containers,. having the. general type of vapor. or vacuum sealed cap may readily be opened with ourv device. It is but necessary to position the head 3. as. shown in Fig. 3 as a. firststep toward opening. the jar. In.Fig..3 the plane of. the opener isto be understood as being atright angles. to. the paper, .i-.. e., at. right anglesto. the

vertical axis of the jar. Thetongue f, edge. 1

and hook 8 are. all positioned inthespace. between. ledge l3. and. rim M and in. substantial contact with theface of thecircular groove l3. Downward pressure on handle l= causesthe tongue. Etofunction as afulcrum, thelower edge section 4" bearing. on ledge. l3. Asshown. in Fig. 4. the vertical edge 7 clears the rim (4.. The shoulder edge 9. functions as the. cover lift.- ing edge, the hookv element 8 with. its. sloping edge being sufficiently high toengage-the interior surface of. the cap edge to raise the. capthe slight distance necessary to permit. the. sharp hook point to pierceor break the vacuum. seal, thereby permitting air'to rush. in under the-cap to equalize the pressure on. both sidesof. the cap. Thehook 8 also functions as.-a. means.to prevent the head from slipping v outfromnnder the cap section l2 during the cover lifting period. In other words, the hook element 8 maintains the head: in lifting positionthroughoutthe arc of..90 degrees-described by head3 astit'ischanged fromthe horizontal position to the vertical-1 position ofFig. 4. Simpledownward pressure. on the end of handle l is all thatis required, while keeping the tongue 5= on. the ledge l3 and the hook inside of the. cap section I2. Whenthehandle has been pushed about one-halfthe way down tothe vertical, the vacuum seal will have been broken by the point of the hook 8-andcover. M will befree because of the equalization of pressure on both sides of the cap. Noslippage is encountered. Nobending or injuryofany kind occurs to the cover, nor is the glasse-damaged. It will be observed that tongue: 5 performsia dual function, i. e., it acts as a pivot or fulcrum for the head 3, and it further insures the clearance: of= rim 1.44 by edgela -As pointed out previously; the distance between edgea l' and edge 9 should be so chosen that the cover will be lifted free of rim l4 when the plane of the opener assumes the vertical position, i. e., parallel to the jar axis: Ihe profile of the head of the jar opener. follows generally the profile of the top of theglassrrjar.

From: the: foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation and many uses of the herein-described invention will be clear to those shilled tin the art of jar openers without further description.

What. we. claim. is:

1.. For. use with a.jar havingarim, over which a cap.. is adaptedto be. placed, a jar cap, opener comprising a. flat handle provided with an. initegrally. joined. relatively small flat head; pro.- jecting at right angles thereto, said head when considered. positioned. in the vertical plane, having at. its bottom portion a fulcrum section of. generally, rectangular shape,.said head having at. its upper portion a. tooth havinga straight frontside generally parallel to the axis of said handle and-having a sloping rear side, thefront edgeof said fulcrum section projecting, apredetermined. distancev beyond theextension of. said straight. front side of said toothtoinsureclearance of the jar rim,.saidsloping. rear. side. of saidtooth acting on the. inner edgeof the cap to raise. the same and. enable the tooth point to.break. the vacuum seal. between jar. and" cap.r

2. For. use in. opening. a glassjar of the type having a circular groove or. recess at. the. top thereof and a glass flange. or shoulder above. said groove, said. jar. being. adapted. to be. vacuum sealed by a. cap provided with. an. inner gasket for; gripping said. glass flange, a jar cap. opener comprisinga. metallic head having a. profilegenerally. similar to the. profile. of the. top of said jar, said head when considered positioned. irra vertical planehavingat itsworkinglower edge a f-ulcrumsectionand at itsupper edge. a tooth element whose point is spacedfrom the bottom of; said; fulcrum section. by a distance. slightly greater thanthe distance between. the bottom of said circular recess. and the. gasket of. said cap, said fulcrum section. havinga height. gen.- erally equal to the. height of saidrecess. and characterized by the absence of. sharp, edges, said; tooth. element being generally saw-tooth in. shape. and having. a. steep front side. and. a sloping rear side,.said..fr.ont side being. straight and a. continuation of a line. which defines the rear end of. saidfulcrum section, said toothelement being spaced rearward .fromthefront edge of said. fulcrum section. by a distance at least equaltothewidth. ofsaid glass. flange. andacting on-the.-interior surface'of. thecap gasket tobreak the seal between the cap and jar and to lift thev cap when saidv opener is. rotated 90..

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I ENTS" Number Name Date 1,256,883 Drysdale' Feb. 19, 1918 2,501,205 Boucher Mar. 21, 1950 2;596j459 Alexandrescu May 13', 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date" 116,925. Switzerland -c Oct. 1, 1926 236,310; Italy- July 19;.1930 

